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Home > Academics > Academic Programs > Chemistry Home > Faculty/Staff > Kevin Shea
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Smith College
Office: Ford Hall 312
Phone: (413)-585-4687
Fax: (413)-585-3786
Email: kshea(at)science.smith.edu
Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Organic Chemistry, 2000
Thesis: Studies on Polycyclic Unsaturated Compounds: 1. Synthesis and Properties of Cyclopenta[a]phenalenes 2. Synthesis of Substituted Azulenes.
Advisor: Rick L. Danheiser
B.S. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Chemistry, 1995
Smith College, 2000-2007, Assistant Professor
Smith College, 2007-present, Associate Professor
CHM 108: Environmental Chemistry
CHM 111: Chemistry I: General Chemistry
CHM 222: Chemistry II: Organic Chemistry I
CHM 223: Chemistry III: Organic Chemistry II
CHM 226: Synthesis and Structural Analysis
CHM 321: Organic Synthesis
CHM 326: Synthesis and Structural Analysis
Organic Chemistry - I use organic synthesis to investigate new methods for carbon-carbon bond formation and to develop syntheses of biologically active molecules. The goal of one methods-based project is to explore the scope of a novel combination of two known organometallic reactions, namely the Nicholas and Pauson-Khand reactions. Another project is focused on developing new dienes and dienophiles for use in the Diels-Alder reaction. Applications of this method include the development of a novel synthesis of steroids.
Honors Students
Josie Nakhla '03 (Currently a Market Segment Manager at Sigma-Aldrich)
Christina (Longo) Rodrigo '04 (Currently a postdoc at Boston University with John Porco)
Miriam Quintal '04 (Currently an educational lobbyist in Washington DC)
Kristi Closser '07 (Currently at UC Berkeley with Martin Head-Gordon)
Kathryn Robinson '07 (Currently studying to become a nurse practitioner)
Florina Voica '07 (Currently at Scripps with Phil Baran)
Seiko Fujii '08 (Currently U. of Illinois with Marty Burke)
Maureen Reilly '08 (Currently at UC Irvine with Scott Rychnovsky)
Stephanie Aldrin '10 (Currently a Fulbright Fellow in India)
Rachel Dorset '10 (Currently a research chemist a Forma Therapeutics)
Julie Olson '10 (Currently a Fulbright Fellow in Malaysia)
Sarah Perlmutter '11
Summer Students
Jen Breidenich '05 (Currently a research chemist at John's Hopkins)
An Tran '05 (Currently in medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin)
Elizabeth Crawford '06 (Currently a researcher at IonSense)
Amanda Freeman '06J (Currently teaching high school chemistry)
Mary Banks '07 (Currently in medical school)
Erin Davis '07 (Currently at U. of Illinois with Marty Burke)
Lisa Rosenberg '07 (Currently in law school)
Vida Chen '08 (Currently a research chemist at the Burnham Institute)
Kate Whitesell '08
Hannah Buettner '09 (Currently a medical researcher in Boston)
Melissa Torres AC '11J
Keturah Edwards '11
Karolina Kosakowska '11
Farah Ousman '11
Mera Hoddinott '12
Sarah Rothstein '12
STRIDE/AEMES/Special Studies Students
Karin Lemkau '04 (Wesleyan University) (Currently a graduate student at Woods Hole)
Liz Bosak '04 (Hampshire College)
Nicole Rosendale '05 (Currently in medical school)
Christina Lioce '08 (Currently in veterinary school)
Julia Wu '08
Amanda Lee '09
Alex Page '12
Katy Broadwater '13
Kristen Park '13
Olivia Cappello '14
Hana Cha '14
Shea, K. M. "The Diels-Alder Reaction," In Name Reactions for Carbocyclic Ring Formations; Li, J. J., Ed.; Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2010; 275-308.
Closser, K. D.; Quintal, M. M.; Shea, K. M. “The Scope and Limitations of Intramolecular Nicholas and Pauson-Khand Reactions for the Synthesis of Tricyclic Oxygen- and Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles,“ J. Org. Chem., 2009, 74, 3680-3688.
Shea, K. M. “The Nicholas Reaction,“ In Name Reactions for Homologations-1; Li, J. J., Ed.; Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2009; 284-298.
Shea, K. M. “The Grob Fragmentation,“ In Name Reactions for Homologations-2; Li, J. J., Ed.; Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2009; 452-463.
Shea, K. M. "Martin's Sulfurane Dehydrating Reagent," In Name Reactions for Functional Group Transformations; Li, J. J., Corey, E. J., Eds.; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2007; 248-264.
Shea, K. M. “Furans and benzo[b]furans,” In Palladium in Heterocyclic Chemistry: A Guide for the Synthetic Chemist; 2nd Ed., Li, J. J., Gribble, G. W., Eds.; Elsevier: Boston, MA, 2007; 303-344.
Shea, K. M.; Closser, K. D.; Quintal, M. M. “Nicholas Reactions with Carboxylic Acids for the Synthesis of Macrocyclic Diolides” J. Org. Chem. 2005, 70, 9088-9091.
Quintal, M. M.; Closser, K. D.; Shea, K. M. “Tandem Intramolecular Nicholas and Pauson-Khand Reactions for the Synthesis of Tricyclic Oxygen-Containing Heterocycles,” Org. Lett. 2004, 6, 4949-4952.
Crombie, A. L.; Kane, J. L., Jr.; Shea, K. M.; Danheiser, R. L. “Ring Expansion-Annulation Strategy for the Synthesis of Substituted Azulenes and Oligoazulenes. 2. Synthesis of Azulenyl Halides, Sulfonates, and Azulenylmetal Compounds and Their Application in Transition-Metal-Mediated Coupling Reactions,” J. Org. Chem. 2004, 69, 8652-8667.
Shea, K. M. “Feist-Bénary furan synthesis,” In Name Reactions in
Heterocyclic Chemistry; Li, J. J., Ed.; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ,
2004; 160-167.
Shea, K. M. “Paal-Knorr furan synthesis,” In Name Reactions in
Heterocyclic Chemistry; Li, J. J., Ed.; John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ,
2004; 168-182.
Kane, J. L., Jr.; Shea, K. M.; Crombie, A., L.; Danheiser, R. L. "A Ring Expansion-Annulation Strategy for the Synthesis of Substituted Azulenes. Preparation and Suzuki Coupling Reactions of 1-Azulenyl Triflates," Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 1081-1084.
Shea, K. M.; Lee, K., L.; Danheiser, R. L. "Synthesis and Properties of 9-Alkyl- and 9-Arylcyclopenta[a]phenalenes," Org. Lett. 2000, 2, 2353-2356.
American Chemical Society - organic division member
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